Did you know there was once an American monarch who ruled over an island in Lake Michigan?
This week, Katie is bewitched by the story of James Strang, the Mormon King of Beaver Island. In the first episode of this two-part series, we meet a confidence man who leaves a trail of fraud in his wake before claiming to be the next prophet and church leader following Joseph Smith’s death. While Brigham Young convinced most Mormons in the Midwest to follow him to Utah, James Strang established his own sect of the church on a small, wooded island in the Great Lakes. Strang employs the help of a handful of other very questionable characters, including a fake doctor and an actor whose stench was more memorable than his performances. Still, his plan to establish a Mormon nation reaches its peak when Strang is crowned ‘King’ in a coronation that is equal parts hilarious and horrific. It’s a story rife with antebellum restlessness, deception, unwavering faith, and murder.
Staff picks:
Jury Duty on Freevee (Amazon Prime)
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & the Six TV series (Amazon Prime)
Sources:
The King of Confidence by Miles Harvey
James J. Strang Papers Collection
The Coronation of James J. Strang and the Making of Beaver Island Mormonism
Beaver Island Historical Society
Strang’s Letter of Appointment from Joseph Smith
Some of Strang’s news articles
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.